More than 100 Americans now sickened by salmonella from Mexican-imported papayas as officials struggle to contain the outbreak
- One person died, 35 were hospitalized, and dozens more sickened by papayas
- The outbreak, in 16 states across the US, was traced to one farm's papayas
- The FDA is now working with Mexico to monitor all imports from that region
- The papayas tested positive for 5 strains of salmonella bacteria, the CDC says
More than 100 Americans have now been sickened by salmonella from a papaya imported from Mexico, the CDC reveals.
One person in New York City died and 35 were sick enough to be hospitalized by the fruit in the last two weeks.
The outbreak, first reported two weeks ago, was traced to the Carica de Campeche farm in Campeche, which sits between the Gulf and Guatemala.
The FDA is now actively monitoring all imports from the region, and is working with Mexican food safety authorities to conduct inspections and follow ups.
Dangerous: CDC officials have warned the public to avoid all Maradol papayas, a variety with yellow skin and salmon-colored flesh grown in Mexico
Maradol papayas are a large, oval fruit that weighs three or more pounds, with green skins that turn yellow when the fruit is ripe.
The flesh inside the fruit is salmon-colored and its seeds are dark brown or black.
Papayas from the Carica de Campeche farm tested positive for five different strains of salmonella bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and fever.
Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to have severe infections.
Cases in New York nearly tripled to 36 since the last report on July 21 and New Jersey cases have more than doubled to 26. Virginia has had 11 cases, Pennsylvania seven and Maryland has had six.
Connecticut and Minnesota each have four cases, and Massachusetts has had three.
Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina and Oklahoma have reported two cases and Delaware, Louisiana Michigan and Wisconsin have had one each.
The company did not immediately respond to an email and phones went unanswered on Tuesday.
This could be due to a storm warning posted for the area as Tropical Storm Franklin makes its way across the Yucatan Peninsula.
The Campeche farm has been added to an import alert which allows FDA field personnel to stop fresh produce from entering the U.S. from the farm until it's proven to have resolved issues that caused the bacterial contamination.
Last week: Previously, there were 12 states with confirmed cases of the outbreak (pictured). Now, there are 16 affected states, with a total of more than 100 salmonella infections
It was not immediately clear how the papaya was contaminated, an FDA spokesman said.
'The investigation is continuing and we'll post more information when it's available,' said Peter Cassell.
The CDC said laboratory evidence using genetic testing has connected some of the illnesses to papaya from the farm.
So far the Caribena, Cavi and Valery brands of maradol papayas have been recalled but the CDC now recommends that consumers not eat, restaurants not serve, and retailers not sell maradol papayas from Mexico.
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